A Florida mom has found herself facing charges after allegedly inciting a riot involving 500 individuals at a skating rink.
The chaos unfolded when her daughter’s birthday party was abruptly canceled, and she urged attendees to “tear this place apart,” according to local authorities.
Her daughter’s birthday party was canceled
Stephanie Pedroso, a 36-year-old mom, was arrested on Thursday following the incident at Astro Skate in Brandon back in May.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office reported that Pedroso’s booking for an “after-hours birthday party” was canceled due to a breach of contract.
Pedroso had made the reservation on May 14 for her daughter’s birthday event scheduled for May 17.
However, she failed to secure off-duty deputies as agreed upon in the contract, which ultimately led to the cancellation of the party.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that Pedroso was issued a refund following their policies.
Mom called for 500 people to attack the skating rink
However, in response to the cancellation, an outraged mom took to her daughter’s social media account and posted a vulgar rant, encouraging her daughter’s friends to disregard the cancellation and cause havoc at the skating rink.
“If you guys still go there, tear this place apart. I have some money for everyone, and I’ll reimburse you,” Pedroso said in a video shared on social media, as reported by the police.
Furthermore, Pedroso made racially charged remarks, urging people to make “those white people work” and to “make them stressed.”
Around 9:20 PM on May 18, law enforcement units responded to a call regarding a “crowd of 500 people” storming into the skating rink, resulting in multiple altercations and fights.
Authorities ordered the crowd to disperse as they had trespassed on the premises, but the chaos escalated as nearby businesses were vandalized, looted, and disrupted, according to reports from the police back in May.
At a nearby hair salon, one individual was assaulted and thrown through a glass window before being rushed to the hospital.
Authorities spent up to 6 hours to control the situation
It took nearly six hours for law enforcement to regain control of the situation, which had caused significant damage to local businesses.
In the aftermath, the police arrested 23 juveniles and three adults in connection with the riot.
“Using social media to encourage people to riot and destroy businesses is completely unacceptable, and we will not tolerate that here in Hillsborough County,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
“This serves as a stark reminder of how quickly situations can spiral out of control and show the importance of responsible behavior and the consequences of inciting violence,” he added.
Pedroso faced charges of starting a riot, using a communication device unlawfully, and driving with a suspended license. Authorities announced these charges.
She got out of jail on Thursday after paying a $2,500 bond, according to jail records.
